Kin of Tiger
by CrisCrossed
Summary: Runningstream has a dream that spells disaster for all four clans. When Smallstar doesn't believe him, how can he make her believe him, while still trying to keep the prophecy from coming true? Rated T to be safe.
1. The Prophecy

**_Chapter 1: The Prophecy_**

Runningstream pushed passed the large leaf that covered the entrance to Smallstar's den. His large brown eyes were full of worry, tail twitching. Smallstar looked up at his entrance, getting to her paws immediately.

"What's wrong, Runningstream?" she asked, tilting her head. He began to pace back and forth in front of her.

"I had a dream from StarClan," he meowed. Immediately, Smallstar sighed, sitting down. He noticed her dismissing attitude and stopped, an indigant look on his face. "This one is real this time!"

"Very well," she sighed. "What is it now?"

"One of Tigerheart's kits, one of the white ones. It's going to become evil when it grows older." Pausing, an amused expression crossed Smallstar's face.

"They were just born this sunhigh," she meowed. "They're just kits; kits aren't evil."

"Hence the _grows older_. I'm serious this time. There was a prophecy; _Kin of Tigers, as it grows, the white one shall grow dark, blood from the innocently slayed staining it's paws._" He looked concerned.

"Dear StarClan, Runningstream," Smallstar muttered, rolling her eyes. "I seem to remember a similar prophecy coming from StarClan, as you said. Something about FireClan attacking us." Runningstream felt his skin get hot under his pelt.

"That was a mistake,"

"Yes, a mistake that nearly led me and several other of our clanmates to declare war on FireClan for no good reason!"

"But, I'm sure of it this time!" he snapped, narrowing his eyes. He whirled around, stalking out of the den.

"Bluepaw better break you out of your paranoia soon, or so help me, Runningstream-!" The medicine cat was out of earshot before she finished her sentence. It would have been an empty threat anyway; paranoid as he was, he was a good medicine cat.

He considered going into the medicine cat's den, but changed his mind, heading instead for the nursery. He poked his head inside, his eyes drawn immediately to the three sleeping bundles curled near Tigerheart's belly. The she-cat looked up at him with sleepy eyes, pure joy on her face.

"Come to see the new arrivals?" she asked, yawning. He nodded, looking over the kits.

"Have you named them yet?" He kept his voice low, not wanting to awake the sleeping Snowbelly. Tigerheart nodded, and pointed her nose at the first one, an exact copy of her.

"This is Streak-kit," she murmured, a loving tone in her voice. She went on to the next one, white with a black mask-like marking around it's eyes. "Nightkit," She then pointed to the last one, white with reddish-brown paws. Runningstream froze, the prophecy echoing in his head. "And Icekit." She then drew her tongue over all three of them, curling her body tighter around theirs.

"Beautiful names," he meowed. She nodded, yawning again. He dipped his head to her, backing out of the den. His movements were a bit wobbly as he made his way back to the medicine cat den. Bluepaw was there, watching as his mentor padded in. He rolled onto his back, opening his mouth for a moment before deciding not to speak.

"You should be going to bed soon," Runningstream advised. Bluepaw sighed, licking his paw and drawing it over his blue-gray ear. "We're getting up early tomorrow, so we can go pick some marigold anf get some moss; we're running short."

"Yes, Runningstream," Bluepaw meowed in a flat tone, rolling over and curling his long plume of a tail around his body, tucking his nose under it. The den was soon filled the sounds of the young cat's gentle snoring. Sighing, Runningstream curled up in his own nest, staring out into the dark, nearly silent camp.

_Kin of Tiger, as it grows, the white one shall grow dark, blood from the innocently slayne staining it's paws._ It rang in his mind as clearly as when he first heard it. Why did Smallstar never believe him?

_Because you're always saying that you've recieved sign from StarClan, when in reality it's nothing more than a simple everyday occurence, _a small voice in the back of his head told him. He sighed again, putting a paw over his muzzle.

"This one was real," he muttered. "I know it is. I know _who_ it is as well." He then closed his eyes, laid on his side, and soon the gentle wave of sleep crashed over him. Before he was completely unconcious, the voice in the back of his mind said one last thing.

_We'll see..._

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******I'd like to know; what's with me and not being able to surpass 750 words without help from the author's note -_-**

**Ugh... anyway, new story. Yay. Hope you enjoyed.**

**Disclaimer: Warriors belongs to Erin Hunter.**


	2. More Secrets?

_**Chapter 2: More Secrets?**_

"It's just a small cut," Runningstream decided after he'd looked over Icekit's paw. "Give a few good licks and it'll stop bleeding quickly." The four-month-old kit did as he was told, and soon the bleeding stopped. He touched the pad to the ground tenderly, testing to see if it still stung. When it seemed fine, he jumped up on all fours, his tail flicking happily back and forth.

"Thanks, Runningstream!" he squeaked happily. The medicine cat nodded curtly, whirling around and stalking back to the medicine cat's den. Icekit watched him until he disappeared, wondering about the tense air surrounding the older tom. He shrugged it off, turning tail and racing as fast as he could towards the nursery, where Nightkit and Streak-kit were waiting for him. Streak-kit was trying to get their sister to play, and Nightkit was trying to nap in the sun's rays. They both got to their paws as they heard him approach, watching at him anxiously.

"Are you okay?" Nightkit asked, her ears flattened to her skull. Icekit nodded.

"I didn't even have to get any of that nasty sticky stuff that stings!" he mewed, remembering the time when Streak-kit got a ton of thistles stuck in her pelt; she said she was hurting all over afterwards. The tiger-striped kit looked at her brother with apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry," she meowed. "I didn't know my claws were that sharp!" Her littermates looked at her strange. "Well, I did, but... I didn't mean to hurt you!" Icekit's whiskers twitched in amusement. He crouched down, tail waving in the air, and began to stalk pounced at his sister, pinning her to the ground.

"We're even!" he meowed, holding up his chin in triumph. He let her go a moment later, strutting towards Nightkit. She dabbed a paw at him once he was close enough, lying on her back, stretched out.

"Can you two settle down or something?" she asked, closing her eyes. "It's nice out; I wanna sleep."

"Oh, but Nightkit!" Streak-kit mewled, padding forward. "You never play with us anymore!" The white kit yawned, rolling on her side and looking up at her littermates.

"We're going to apprentices soon," she meowed. "We'll have tons of time for play fighting while we're training, but with real battle moves. I wanna enjoy having to do nothing for a while longer." She closed her eyes again, stretching out. Streak-kit sniffed.

"You're just being lazy," she murmured before turning on her brother, tackling him to the ground. Ready for her, he flipped her off of his back, and returned the favor. They tumbled through the nursery entrance, accidentally bumping into Snowbelly, who was currently trying to get her mewling kits to sleep. The black she-cat glared at them.

"Why don't you two go see if the Elders will tell you a story, or something?" she meowed. They immediately left, hearing the dismissal tone in her voice. Icekit nudged Nightkit, knowing she would be mad if they didn't bring her along for a trip to the elder's den. She opened one blue eye.

"Snowbelly doesn't want us disturbing her anymore," he mewed. She gave him a look that asked, 'and this has to do with me how?' "She wants us to go see the elders." The white kit got to her paws automatically, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Let's go!" she meowed, taking off towards the fresh-kill pile. Exchanging a glance with Streak-kit, Icekit took off after his sister, knowing that this was one of the only times she was ever energetic.

"Where do you three think you're going with that mouse?" a voice from behind them asked. The mouse dropped from Nightkit's mouth automatically as the three of them looked over their shoulders simultaneously. Tigerheart was watching them, beaming at her kits.

"We were annoying Snowbelly," Streak-kit piped in. Icekit glared at her.

"_I_ wasn't..." Nightkit muttered.

"So she told us to go see the elders," Icekit finished. "We were gonna take them some fresh-kill. Can we, mom?" He flattened his ears against his skull, flashing her a look that he knew would get her to do whatever he wanted. Since he knew it wouldn't work once he was an apprentice, he had been using it more often lately. The queen's heart nearly melted, and, whiskers twitching, she nodded.

"Just remember not to disturb the warriors, or leave camp. And be back before sunset."

"Yes, mom!" Icekit mewed. Nightkit picked her mouse back up and raced over to the Elders den, Streak-kit carrying a vole right behind her. He chased after his sisters, yowling for them to wait up.

---

It was quiet in the nursery as Icekit rolled over onto his back, listening to the deep breathing of his littermates, Snowbelly, and her kits. He knew he should be asleep, but after the spooky story Poppyleaf had decided to tell him, he couldn't get to sleep. He suddenly wished Tigerheart was with them, but as her kits grew closer and closer to apprentice-hood she had begun to move back into the warrior's den. Though kin surrounded him, he felt alone.

Sighing, he got to his paws, stretching and yawning. Being careful not to step on either of his sisters, he snuck out of the den, breathing in the night's scent. He knew he shouldn't be out at night, but he couldn't help himself; being free of the stuffy nursery made him want to go out further. _And_, he thought. _I don't have Nightkit or Streak-kit here to tell on me!_ His fur tingled with excitement at the realization. He wondered where he should go first.

As he looked around the camp, his eyes locked on Smallstar's den. Immediately he started creeping towards it, keeping his tail off of the ground. As he got nearer, he could hear voices.

"I'm tired of your crazy suspicions," he heard Smallstar snap. "All three of them are perfectly fine kits, and they will make great warriors."

"StarClan does not lie, Smallstar," Runningstream's hiss reached Icekit's ears. "You of all cats should know that." There was a brief pause followed by a heavy sigh.

"Don't you _ever_ bring that up again," Smallstar growled. Even through the leaf covering the den's opening, Icekit could feel the tension and anger seeping through. It chilled him to the bone. "I will not persecute a kit based on the ramblings of a mentally unstable medicine cat. Get out of my sight, _now_, before I anger our ancestors further by doing something I'd rather not do." Icekit immediately scrambled away, just in time as Runningstream came stomping out of the den. His tail was twitching. Watching the medicine cat go back to his den, Icekit hesitated a moment longer before taking off towards the nursery. He was panting by the time he got there.

_Smallstar said _three _kits,_ he thought, once again weaving through his sisters. He glanced over at the sleeping Snowbelly, her two kits squeaking and mewling in their sleep. _She must have meant us! But, why would Runningstream be suspicious of _us_? _Shaking his head, he curled up to sleep, as tired as ever but wishing he had stayed to see if Smallstar had said anything else. _Maybe Tigerheart will know,_ he thought before drifting soundly to sleep.

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**Legasp! An update? From **_**me?**_** Impossible.**

**Soooo... Whatcha think? Like it? Hate it? Annoyed with me that it took so long to get this up? (Pssh, yeah, right, like anyone else but Pawzeh reads this crap xD) Ah... funfunfun. I had fun with this.**

**I'll try and update faster next time. Meanwhile, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.**


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